General Anesthesia With Remimazolam During Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery for Atrial Septal Defect: A Pediatric Case Report

Remimazolam is a new ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine sedative, the use of which has not been reported for pediatric cardiac surgery. This case report describes the use of remimazolam in a 6-year-old girl who underwent minimally invasive cardiac surgery with right-sided thoracotomy for an atrial septal defect. Under electroencephalographic monitoring, remimazolam (2-4 mg kg-1 h-1) and remifentanil (0.05 mu g kg-1 min-1) were administered with an intercostal nerve block during the procedure. The patient awoke and was extubated promptly after surgery, without any serious adverse events, including intraoperative awareness. Remimazolam may be a viable option for general anesthesia during pediatric cardiac surgery.